Tuesday, September 16, 2008 CA’s sign covenant to reclaim image
THE Court of Appeals (CA) has not lost hope. It is an institution of justice and will continue to be one despite being muddled by controversies.
All the CA stations in the country simultaneously signed a covenant yesterday, as a statement that it will continue serving the nation with its mandate of providing speedier justice to litigants.
“The recent turn of events has plunged the credibility of our Court to the lowest,” the covenant read. All Justices of all CA stations, including that of Cebu City, signed it after the flag ceremony.
Scandal
The events being related to is the bribery scandal that rocked the CA for the handling of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) case.
It paved the way for the dismissal of Associate Justice Vicente Roxas and separate disciplinary actions against Associate Justice Jose Sabio Jr., who got a suspension; Presiding Justice Conrado Vasquez Jr. Associate Justices Bienvenido Reyes, and Myrna Dimarananidal.
“Our reputation as an institution has been badly tarnished. We have been subjected to sweeping generalizations, have been called names, have been despised and insulted,” the justices’ covenant read.
They are grieving, they said, as public opinion raised against them is harsh.
“But we will not be cowed into helplessness nor shall we give up. Instead, we shall take this devastating situation as a challenge and pin our hope on our God who will vindicate us. We shall prove our detractors wrong.”
Saddened
The justices were saddened by the perception that all CA justices have opened their palms for bribery.
They want to move on.
“We, with one heart and one mind, solemnly make a covenant to dispense justice with honor, independence, impartiality and integrity; to be subservient only to the truth; and to hold ourselves accountable to the Supreme Judge so that our Court may be a haven of fairness and righteousness,” the covenant read.
The justices concluded their covenant with, “We shall give meaning to the adage that the court shall be the last bastion of democracy.” (JGA)
